Thankful
by pookieortega
Summary: Its thanksgiving at the Everlark house! Cute fluffy story about what they have to be thabkful about.


A/N so it's been a long time since I've posted and well I really just wanted to post a really cute everlark fluff story. I've been in the feels with so many cute songs and it's thanksgiving weekend so I really wanted to write a cute fluffy everlark thanksgiving !!!

Peeta pov

The soft sunlight hits my face waking me up. I take a deep breath before opening my eyes. Katniss is still softly snoring in my arms. I smile because she always denies that she snores. I carefully slip her out of my arms and close the window. I sleep with It open but she gets cold without me there to hold her.

On my way downstairs, I stop by my daughters room to find her still asleep. Then I go into the nursery we made for our son. The room is almost perfect. It won't be perfect until he is born and sleeping in It.

It's thanksgiving. My dad was always huge on thanksgiving. He loved It more than any other holiday. It was special to him. A day where we would do more than bake. We'd use tradition. We'd celebrate. And my mom was always less unpleasant on this day. Even though she would talk about how she had nothing to be thankful for, she would still smile on this day.

And I carry on his tradition.

As the man of the house, I am supposed to find the turkey. My dad never followed this tradition. He never hunted for a turkey. But I do remember going with him to buy It. This was the only thing my mom would allow my dad to buy from seam folk.

He would walk down to the seam, a basket full of bread and treats. I remember one day I went with him. I was 9. He lead me to the seam and as we walked he told me an epic love story tragedy. How a boy loved a girl and the girl loved a boy she wasn't supposed to. He was talking about Delilah and John Everdeen.

He lead me to the door of an old shack, and knocked on the door. The first thing I heard was her voice. Soft and sweet. She followed close behind her father as he answered the door.

"Pharrell. Here to trade?"

My dad was always polite. Never disrespected anyone and always held himself to the most highest standard.

"Indeed. I brought all these treats and bread. I assume It will suffice."

"Very well, thank you,"John said as he pulled out a turkey the size of a really big stone. "It's a 12 pounder."

"Perfect."

And without another word they would shake on It and we would walk away with a turkey.

Katniss shot a turkey yesterday and it's in the freezer. I guess she follows her own tradition. I take out the turkey and prep It.

Then I walk over to a tile in the wall that moves out of place. I hide my secret recipes here. I have them memorized by heart but I always like looking at my dads handwriting. There's even a few from my brothers. If I close my eyes I can still hear their voices.

 _"Don't ever let anyone else see these. They're a Mellark Family secret."_

I haven't even shown Katniss. There's something special about not having anyone else know. I take out the little ceramic container my family has passed down for generations. My dad gave this to me after I came home from our first games.

I had just come home and after my mom had kicked me out of the bakery for being too rich to help my family, my dad ran after me as I walked to my new empty home. He handed me the box and told me that this was mine to keep.

I had asked him why and his voice still rings in my ears. _"Because, Peeta, someday you will marry the woman you love and have a family. I know you will. You will have happiness someday."_

He was right. I did marry the woman I love and I do have a family.

I take out the turkey recipe and put the box away. I hear the sound of feet running down the stairs and I turn to find my daughter, Willow. She runs and jumps into my arms excitedly, her curls bouncing. "Daddy it's thanksgiving!"

"I know! Wanna help me make the turkey?"

"Yeah! I helped mama shoot the turkey!"

I lift her up and set her on the counter. "I know, pumpkin! I'm so proud of you!"

She beams brightly.

I feel hands softly reach around my waist and play with the strings of my sleep pants. "How are you so quiet at 9 months pregnant."

"Because quiet meant survival."

"Well I guess It works because that turkey you shot is huge."

"I just supervised. Willow is the one who shot It."

"Amazing." I say as I turn to kiss her.

I pull out the turkey and lay It on the counter. She smiles with pride. I start to prepare the turkey as Katniss kisses Willow on the forehead.

She sits down in the chair and lets out a sigh of relief. I smile at my beautiful wife as she rubs her stomach and closes her eyes. 10 years ago she didn't even want children and now here we are with one child and another on the way. The door rings and I say,"I'll get It."

"No! Stop right there Mellark. You're cooking the turkey. I can get the door."

"Okay." I say and go over to help her out of the chair.

"No. Cook! I can get up myself."

I raise my hands in surrender as I step away. I watch as she struggles to get up. The doorbell continues to ring until finally the door just opens as Katniss still tries to stand up.

In walks Johanna and Gale. "Wow Mellark, you're just going to sit there and watch her struggle to get up." Johanna says laughing.

"No. She won't let me help!"

"Sounds about right." Gale says.

Finally Katniss gets up and with a cry of triumph she beams at us proudly. "I told you I didn't need any help."

"You're right brainless, you don't need any help. 5 mins and you're out of a chair,"Johanna says sarcastically.

"Hey I didn't make fun of you when you were pregnant." My wife says to her.

"Speaking of kids,"I say,"where are they?"

"They got distracted by Haymitch's geese. He caught them terrorizing them. So he has them feeding them for him."

"Only your kids would know how to terrorize mean geese." Katniss says.

"Aspen and Aaron are definitely Johanna's kids. Andrew and Ashley are more like me though. And Addy, she's a wild card."

"I still can't believe that you, Johanna Mason Hawthorne, was convinced to have five children." Katniss says.

"Look who's talking, you're about to burst. And to be fair one came out as twins and the last one was an accident."

With that, the five Hawthorne children come running in. "Aunt Katniss!"

"Uncle Peeta!"

"Aunt Niss!"

"Daddy!"

"Mommy mommy!"

They all seem to scream at the same time. Aspen and Aaron are twins. They both tackle me at the same time. I smile at my nephews as I lift them up. They're only a year and a half older than Willow.

Ashley who is the a year younger than Willow, runs to her mother as her older brother chases her in. And finally the youngest runs to hug Katniss around the ankles.

Haymitch follows in after them. Along with Effie.

"Damn, sweetheart, you're bigger than a stuffed turkey. You're due any day now." He says followed by a slap from Effie.

"Yes and I'm miserable!" She groans,"I'm 3 days late!"

"You're glowing darling,"Effie says.

"I just want him out of me." She groans.

She waddles into the living room and plops on the couch. I finish prepping the turkey and place It in the oven.

Then I follow everyone to the living room. There's a knock on the door. I open It to find Annie and her son Finn. Finn is now 20. It's crazy to think that Finnick died 20 years ago. He looks just like him.

"Hey uncle Peeta,"he says,"happy thanksgiving."

"You too buddy."

Annie looks at her son proudly. He's grown to be 6'8". He's taller than Finnick, Gale, and even me.

"Where's Auntie Kat?" He asks.

"I'm here, my little Finny!" Katniss calls from the living room. Her and Finn have always had a special connection. It's rare that Katniss takes to nicknames. But she's awlwsys called Finn 'her little finny', of course nothing about him is small.

Annie wraps her arms around me and says, "it's been too long."

I take her small frame into my arms and say,"It definitely has. I wish you lived closer... I'd trade you in for Jo any day."

"Hey I heard that!" Johanna says laughing.

Annie laughs with me. We go into the room with everyone. Haymitch sits in the rocking chair with Willow as he tells her a story. Finn has his arm wrapped around Katniss and they sit on the couch laughing.

Gale and Johanna seem to be playing some kind of thumb game.

Willow runs to me and I lift her up and twirl her around. "Hey there beautiful!"

She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses my cheek. "Daddy! Uncle Haymitch told me a wonderful story! A prince fell in love with a poor popper and they live happily ever after!"

"Wow! That's wonderful!" I tell her.

Hours pass and finally everything is ready to eat. We all gather around the table. I stand up and raise my glass.

"I just want to propose a toast. I want you all to know how thankful I am for all of you. We've gone through hell and back. All of us have looked in the eyes of the devil, but here we stand and we're all thankful for something. My wife. I had dreamt my whole like, imagining that one day she would love me. Even after I lost myself, we found each other and I'm thankful. And then I continued to be blessed. Blessed with children. A family I never thought I'd have. Thankful. I'm thankful and continue to be thankful. We didn't start out as family but we're here now. We stand together strong. And I'm thankful for that. With that let's eat!"

Everyone raises their glasses and toasts. I look over at my wife and she smiles with tears in her eyes and curses out her hormones.

I kiss her cheek and then serve the food. After dinner we gather around the fire and Katniss doses off in my arms.

"Happy thanksgiving." I whisper.

Haymitch smiles at us from the chair and says,"I always knew that you'd be happy someday. That you would get the family you wanted. Deserved. You never truly were a victor Peeta. You were good. The only one."

"You all have good in you. There wouldn't have been a rebellion if there wasn't good in people."

"Thank you, Peeta." He says. "I really am thankful for you, the girl, and your crazy children. You guys are my children."

"Happy thanksgiving." I say.

"Happy thanksgiving."


End file.
